Belgium was in a state of heightened alert yesterday after police announced they had foiled a planned terrorist plot, which left two suspected jihadists dead and a third seriously injured.
News of the events in Verviers – a large post-industrial town in the east of the country – had begun to filter through state media at around 6.15pm on Thursday evening. News coverage dominated the airwaves throughout the evening and yesterday, as political commentators and anti-terrorism experts began debating what the events meant for Belgian society and national identity.
As with the Paris attacks last week, the counter-terrorist operations in Belgium have prompted national introspection. But in many ways, the country of 11 million people was prepared for what had unfolded on Thursday. A former colonial power, Belgium has long had a vibrant Muslim population, stretching back to the 1960s when the first wave of migrants arrived from north Africa and Turkey.
Social and racial mix
Belgium’s deep social and racial mix is evident to anyone who strays beyond the sheltered EU quarter of the capital. While estimates put Belgium’s Muslim population at about 6 per cent, in Brussels it is much higher at 25 per cent. This is evident in areas such as Molenbeek, the northwest suburb which saw nine people arrested on Thursday night.
But the disquieting emergence of Belgium as a hub for disaffected young Muslims had been a worry over recent years. Along with Britain and France, the country is believed to have the highest proportion of "foreign fighters" in Europe.
While police declined yesterday to comment on how many Belgium citizens are believed to have travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight in the name of jihadism, it is estimated to be as many as 500.
Jihadist group
Thursday’s events were the latest in a series that have set the country on edge. On a quiet Saturday in May, a lone assassin, believed to be French jihadist
Mehdi Nemmouche
, shot dead four people in the Jewish Museum in central Brussels.
In October a high-profile case against 46 members of jihadist group Sharia4Belgium opened under heavy security in the northern city of Antwerp. Only eight of the accused were present in court; the remainder are believed to have been fighting in Syria and Iraq.
That same month Dutch media reported that Belgian authorities had stopped a planned terrorist attack on the European Commission building in Brussels.
News that this week’s foiled attack was aimed at police officers has unnerved many. Even before Thursday’s events, there was widespread public debate in Belgium about the right of police officers to keep their firearms with them outside work hours, over fears they were facing a specific threat.
Yesterday, security was tight around the capital, particularly at police stations and public buildings, as the government increased the security alert levels from two to three for the first time since the 1980s.
The European Commission increased its security though a spokeswoman said there was no evidence of a specific threat. While a number of Jewish schools in Brussels and Antwerp were closed, Jewish leaders said they expect them to reopen on Monday.
Beneath the air of fear yesterday there was also a sense of relief that a possible attack had been averted, as well as quiet conviction of the power of the police and intelligence services.
Around the EU table, Belgium is a heavy hitter in terms of foreign and security policy. It is one of a number of countries involved in the US-led coalition against Islamic State in Iraq.
Nonetheless, the events this week will focus attention on the government of Charles Michel. The 40-year old prime minister, the son of well-known politician Louis Michel, is the youngest leader in Belgian history. His party assumed office just three months ago, forging a four-party centre-right alliance with three Flemish parties, including the separatist Flemish group, New Flemish Alliance (NVA).
Much of the domestic debate yesterday was on federal budgetary funding available for counter-terrorism measures as well as the possibility of strengthening Belgium’s counter-terrorism laws.
Leadership
Addressing the nation Michel attempted to strike a balance between composure and command, as he urged people not to be afraid, while pledging to bring in the army if needed.
As Belgium continues to respond to the threat of terrorism, its citizens will be hoping the minister demonstrates the leadership that many are now seeking.